The Grade A Brenneman Family: Generations of egg farming on the Perth-Oxford border

The Brenneman family, west of Tavistock, proudly represents three generations of egg farmers. From left are Keith Brenneman, Julie and Kyle Wynette, with Reid, Nash and Marilyn in front. Contributed photo

By Gary West

With World Egg Day recently celebrated, it seemed fitting to visit a local family whose dedication to egg farming spans decades.

The Brenneman family, west of Tavistock on the Perth-Oxford county line, has been collecting, grading, and marketing eggs for generations. The Brenneman egg business began in the 1950s with Lorne and Selma Brenneman, who raised a flock of 1,500 free-run hens on their farm along the 11th Line of East Zorra. The hens had roosting areas and nest boxes, and the family raised their own pullets every year to replenish the flock.

In 1970, the first cage-system barn was built, housing 4,000 laying hens. Around that time, the federal government introduced the Egg Marketing Agency, now known as Egg Farmers of Ontario, to stabilize production and ensure fair pricing for farmers and consumers alike.

Lorne Brenneman’s son, Keith Brenneman, recalls that the new marketing system brought much-needed structure and stability to the industry.

“It really helped farmers by setting fair prices and supporting the grading stations and stores that sold our eggs,” he said.

Collecting eggs in the early days was done by hand, using wire baskets. When the first cage system arrived, eggs were gathered with metal carts pushed between rows. Keith Brenneman and his wife, Marilyn Brenneman, often had their three daughters riding in car seats on the egg cart before they were old enough to help with the chores themselves.

By the late 1970s, modernization brought automatic egg belts, which transported eggs to the front of the barn for collection and packaging on stationary tables.

In time, daughter Julie Wynette (Brenneman) and her husband Kyle Wynette returned to the farm to begin the next generation of operations. Julie Wynette credits her parents for continually upgrading and modernizing the barns over the years to meet changing consumer and animal-welfare standards.

In 2024, the family built a brand-new facility that now houses 20,000 laying hens in an enriched colony housing system. This system allows hens to perch, scratch and nest – behaviours that reflect their natural instincts.

Julie Wynette jokes that the only things missing are “morning yoga and Netflix,” but she’s proud of the results.

“The hens are cleaner, the eggs are cleaner and the overall quality has improved,” she said. “It’s been a positive change.”

Julie and Kyle Wynette, and her parents agree that while technology, management and consumer expectations have evolved over the years, one thing remains constant: the pride egg farmers take in caring for their hens and producing a healthy, affordable source of food.

“One egg contains essential proteins, vitamins and minerals,” Julie Wynette said. “It’s amazing that a hen weighing less than two kilograms can produce something so nutritious every day.”

She also notes the industry’s environmental progress.

“In the past 50 years, Canadian egg production has increased by 50 per cent, while the industry’s environmental footprint has decreased by almost 50 per cent. Egg farmers are doing their part to protect the environment.”